91% - Audio Physic

and enjoy the music, picturing
myself in front of a cosy fireplace
watching the embers glow instead
of looking for mistakes. Mistakes?
Could it be that the voice of the
delicately-built Tikaram sounded
too full or too sombre? These
philosophical questions were
instantly brushed aside when the
drum attacks in "Doin' Time" – I had
again returned to Van Halen – hit
me full-on and the Scorpio filled the
room with brute, albeit controlled,
force. I could literally hear the sparks
flying.
Electrified by this performance
and enjoying a pleasurable
intoxicated state, I decided it was
time to wrap it all up in cotton wool
by putting a CD of the Wiener
Hofburgkapelle (Philips) into the
Accuphase, enabling me to travel
into a “counter world”. Wonderfully
unadorned Gregorian chants came
over the loudspeaker captivating me
with their sobriety. Thanks to the
sensitive and at the same time
expressive reproduction, the music
not only put me under its spell,
it filled me from head to toe
providing a harmonious blend of
religion and ecstasy. The Scorpio
carved out an eerily real-sounding
vocal apparition of the voices,behind
which could be heard even the tiniest
Ingeniously designed: The Scorpio midrange driver consists of
a plastic basket which is encased in an outside metal basket,
securing the midrange to the loudspeaker and efficiently
dissipating the magnet generated heat via cooling fins.
echo bouncing off the bare walls of
the chapel while the chants were
performed by former members of
the Vienna Boys’ Choir. What a
fabulous purity. It makes you want
more, keeps you reaching for more
music. What else is a loudspeaker
meant to do?
It can be said that the
Focal had more breath in the upper
registers, however it also sounded
a trifle more like a "loudspeaker"
and just did not have the Scorpio’s
power to rock the house. In the
head-to-head matchups both loudspeakers
came to a tie with the
Audio Physic having a slim
advantage over the Focal. Whether
you are listening to Van Halen-like
tirades, a string quartet or “just”
text – the Scorpio is a more
engaging partner for music of any
kind.
RESUMÉ: The Scorpio is a loudspeaker
with a great potential for sonic bliss where
passionate play and precise reproduction
are by no means contradictory. A huge
success by all standards enabling Audio
Physic to set a new benchmark in the price
range of the loudspeaker.
by Knut Isberner
TEST PROFILE HomeVision 5/08
Audio Physic
Scorpio
Facts
Stereo Loudspeaker
Price: Outstanding value for money
Test result: Outstanding 91%
awe-inspiring precision in
the woofer and midrange
abundance of vitality
ingenious feet construction
available in many veneers
Ingeniously easy: From above, the feet of the
Scorpio can be adjusted to the floor in the split
of a second. A metal cap covers the screw.
Manufacturer: AUDIO PHYSIC
Model: Scorpio
HIGHLIGHT5/08
Website: www.audiophysic.de
Dimensions: (BxHx T) 22 x 112 x 39 m
Weight: 27 kg
Warranty: 10 years
8.6’’ x 45’’ x 15.4''
Accessories: Special feet
Groundbreaking loudspeaker
in terms of
technology, delivering
precise sound with
joyful abandon and
setting a standard in
its price range.
Sound quality // max. 700 645
Naturalness // max. 100 95
Resolution // max. 100 95
Spatial image // max. 100 95
Vitality // max. 100 95
Bass precision // max. 100 95
Bass volume // max. 100 85
Level performance // max. 100 85
Features // max. 70 50
Design // max. 240 220
Impression // max. 120 110
Material // max. 120 110
Overall result [ 91% ] max. 1010 915
Connections: Single-Wiring-Terminal for
banana plugs and spades
Measurements: balanced frequency response
showing light ripples and a tiny dip around 4 kHz.
Minimum impedance of 3 Ohm at 80 Hertz, lower
crossover frequency at 45 Hz/- 6 dB
Special features: side-firing woofers; wide feet
easily adjusted from above to ensure stable positioning
of the loudspeaker, available in 6 standard veneers
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